Hammer guard



Get. 1956 K, HALL ,7 7

HAMMER GUARD Filed Sept. 15, 1953 Law mime A. Hall INVENTOR.

United States Patent 6 HAMMER GUARD Lawrence K. Hall, Greenville, Maine Application September 15, 1953, Serial No. 380,160

2 Claims. (Cl. 145-29) This invention relates in general to improvements in tools and more specifically to a guard for a hammer.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an improved attachment for a hammer in the form of a hammer guard which is utilized to encase a major portion of the head of a hammer whereby when a nail is driven with the hammer the driving face of the head will not engage the surface in which the nail is being driven so as to prevent marring of such surface.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved guard for attachment to a hammer, said guard being attachable to the head and claws of a hammer and being provided with a portion overlying the outer end of the hammer so as to prevent marring of a surface when pulling a nail therefrom.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved hammer guard which is extremely simple in construction and which may be readily formed so as to be economically feasible and at the same time is of such a nature whereby the same may be quickly and easily attached to a conventional hammer.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved attachment for a hammer in the form of a hammer guard, the hammer guard including a wedge shaped intermediate portion overlying the upper end of a hammer to form a fulcrum block so as to facilitate the removal of nails with a hammer so provided.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a conventional hammer having mounted thereon the hammer guard which is the subject of this invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top elevational view of the hammer of Figure 1 and shows the general outline of the claw engaging portion of the hammer guard;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the hammer of Figure 1 with the hammer guard being shown in section in order to clearly illustrate the relationship of the hammer guard with respect to the hammer; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary bottom plan View of the hammer of Figure 1 and shows the general configuration of the forward end of the hammer head receiving sleeve of the hammer guard.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that there is illustrated a conventional hammer which is referred to in general by the reference numeral 10. The hammer includes a cylindrical head 12 and a claw portion 14. The hammer also includes a handle 16.

The hammer 10 is provided with the hammer guard which is the subject of this invention, the hammer guard being referred to in general by the reference numeral 18. The hammer guard 18 includes a first sleeve 20 which is 2,765,827 Patented Oct. 9, 1956 of a size to receive the head 12 of the hammer 10. The sleeve 20 is provided at its forward end with an inturned annular flange 22 which is intended to overlie the face of the hammer head 12 and to prevent direct engagement of the face of the hammer head with a surface in which a nail is being driven.

The hammer guard 18 also includes a second sleeve 24 which is deformed to receive the claw portion 14 of the hammer 10. The sleeve 24 is of increasing width and is connected to the sleeve 20 by an elongated strap 26 which is intended to overlie that portion of the hammer remote from the handle 16.

It will be noted that the strap 26 and an adjacent portion of the sleeve 24 is of an increased thickness as at 28 to form a tapered fulcrum block. It will be understood that the fulcrum block is to be in substantially direct alignment with the longitudinal axis of the handle 16 to facilitate the rocking of the hammer on a surface from which a nail is to be pulled so as to facilitate the removal of an elongated nail.

It will be understood that the hammer guard 18 is formed of a single piece of material and that the sleeve 29, the sleeve 24, and the strap 26 are integral. It will also be understood that the hammer guard 18 is formed of a resilient material, such as a rubber product, so as to both facilitate the positioning thereof on the hammer 10 and to effect a resilient surface over a major portion of the hammer 10.

In the use of the hammer 10 provided with the hammer guard 18, when a nail is driven into a surface, the nail may possibly be driven all the way into a flush position with the hammer 10 without the possibility of damaging the surface. In this way a large amount of time may be saved inasmuch as in many cases the use of a nail punch will be eliminated. Further, by covering a small portion of the striking face of the head 12 by the flange 22, ones fingers may not be as easily injured when working in close places.

By providing the strap 26 and the sleeve 24 with a continuous portion of increased thickness, it will be seen that the hammer 10, When provided with the hammer guard 18 may conveniently remove nails from a surface without damaging such surface inasmuch as the entire portion of the hammer engaging surface will be covered by the strap 26. Further, the enlarged portion forming the fulcrum block will facilitate the removal of relatively large nails.

While the hammer guard 18 is designed to be easily attached to and removed from a hammer, it is understood that it is intended to be left on the hammer once installed in place.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

l. A hammer guard comprising a hammer-head receiving sleeve provided with an inturned annular flange for overlying the outer portions of the striking surface of the hammer head, a claw-portion receiving sleeve for anchoring said hammer guard on said hammer-head, and a strap joining said hammer-head receiving sleeve and said claw-portion receiving sleeve, said sleeves and said strap being integrally formed of soft, resilient, extensible, rubbery material whereby said hammer guard may be stretched to install the same and held over the hammer head and intermediate portion between the head and claw .ortion by theresiliencyof said guard, 'said'sleeves "and inturned annular flange providing a soft rubbery positive layer for protection of work surfaces and fingers interposed between said surface :and external objects.

2 The hammer guard of claim 1 in which said strap is progressively thicker in a directionaway-from said claw-portion receiving sleeve and reaches a maximum thickness corresponding substantially With the extended longitudinal axis of t he hammer handle toprovide afulcrum block with an outer surface which is -in-effect a smooth extension of the outer surface of said claw-porl i "fnaterial throughout the thickness thereof, whereby the same may be compressed during use without exposure of other solid material to scratch work surfaces.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 800,305 Kitson Sept. 26, 1905 1,663,886 Lutch Mar. 27, 1928 1,732,985 Peters Oct. 22, 1929 1,792,153 Erich Feb. 10, 1931 2,499,802 Ulfves 'Mar. 7, 1950 

